Conf  Pam  i2mo  *im 

D^ObQfllT/. 


EVANGELICAL  TRACT  SOCIETY,  )  N7>      1 7fi 

Potersburg,  Yt.  \  A1U.     AIU 

HOW  SHALLI  LIVE? 

BY    REV.    DR.    RAMSEY,    LYNCHBURG,    VA. 


Reader,  you  have  but  cue  life  to  live.  Would  you  uot  know 
how  you  may  most  enjoy  this  one  life  ?  On  it  hangs  your 
eternal  destiny.  Would  you  not  secure  from  it  a  destiny  of 
the  highest  possible  bliss  ?  Can  any-  inquiry  then  be  more  in- 
teresting or  important  than  this  :  "How  shall  I  live  V9  How, 
so  as  to  make  the  most  of  the  present  life,  and  at  the  same 
time  make  sure  of  eternal  life  ?  Never  did  this  question  re- 
ceive a  more  complete,  comprehensive,  beautiful  and  impres- 
sive answer  than  in  the  words  of  the  great  apostle  of  the  Gen- 
tiles, in  his  epistle  to  the  Philippian  Church,  ch.  1:17,  "To 
me  to  live  is  Christ." 

When  Paul  wrote  these  words  he  was  a  prisoner  at  Rome. 
But  he  was  not  desponding,  or  even  sad.  No  epistle  he  ever 
wrote  seems  so  full  of  gladness  as  this.  Yet  he  had,  one 
'would  think,  abundant  cause  for  sadness.  He  was,  day  and 
night,  chained  to  a  Roman  soldier,  his  life  at  the  mercy  of  the 
most  capricious  tyrant  that  ever  vat  on  the  Roman  throne ; 
his  presence  and  labors  seemed  to  be  greatly  needed  in  the 
churches  ;  and  his  heart  longed  to  be  again  sweeping  over 
whole  continents  with  that  untiring  activity  that  was  part  of 
his  very  nature,  proclaiming  the  glory  of  his  Master;  but  still 
every  word  aud  look  and  tone  gave  evidence  of  a  joyous  heart. 
The  reason  of  this  is  found  in  these  words :  "Foi  t©  me  to 
live  is  Christ."  This  drew  joy  from  his  very  sorrows. 

In  these  words  he  completely  identifies  himself  with  Christ. 
He  knows  nothing  of  living  apart  from  Christ,  any  more  than 
a  limb  apart  from  the  body.  All  hie.  desires,  expectations, 
plans,  purposes,  labours,  sufferings,  enjoyments,  his  preach- 
ing and  his  silence,  his  activity  and  his  confinement — all  had 
a  constant  reference  to  Christ,  and  derived  their  character 
from  Christ,  and  in  every  possible  way  were  fall  of  Christ. 
In  Christ,  by  Christ,  and  for  Christ  he  lived  in  his  iuward  ex- 
perience and  his  outward  walk. 

"To  most  men  this  is  a  strange  kind  of  life.  It  is  so  far 
above  the  range  of  their  living,  so  far  out  of  the  ordinary 


2  HOW    SHALL    I    LIVE  5 

course  of  men's  thoughts,  tliat  they  regard  it  as  almost,  if  not 
altogether,  mystical.  Even  Christians  look  Upon  it  too  often 
as  indicating  a  height  of  spiritual  attainment  to  be  wondered 
at  and  admired,  rather  than  to  be  aimed  at.  Such  language, 
they  think,  may  do  very  well  for  Paul,  and  perhaps  for  minis- 
ters of  the  gospel,  or  at  most  a  few  other  exceptional  cases, 
but  that  they  ought  or  even  could  use  it,  has  never  entered  their 
minds.  Hence  they  have  hardly  ever  clearly  set  before  them- 
selves its  full  and  true  meaning,  and  never  have  felt  their  obli- 
gations to  realize  it  in  their  own  experience.  '  Hence,  too,  so 
many  go  creeping  and  hobbling  along  the  narrow,  way  v. 
scarcely  anything  of  the  vigour  of  a  lively  faith  or  the  joy  of 
a  confident  hope.  Hence  many  know  not  whether  they  are 
in  that  way  at  all,  and  travel  on  through  life  doubtingly,  not 
sure  whether  they  belong  to  God  or  the  devil,  whether  they 
are  going  to  heaven  or  to  hell.  A  most  wretched  condition 
rational  and  immortal  creature  I  And  yet  such.it  must 
be,  while  to  live  is  anything  else  than  Christ.  This  Christ- 
he  aposile  ought  to  be  the  life  of  every  one;  and  it 
must  be'  of  every  christian,  else  doubt,  backsliding,  sorrow 
and  disgrace,  will  attend  it.     What  then  is  implied  in  it  ? 

The  life  of  every  intelligent  moral  being  implies  clearly  an 
end,  a  motive,  a  rule,  and  a  joy.  Every  man  has  something  to 
live  for,  seme  motive  controlling  him,  some  rule  to  direct  him, 
and  there  is  something  in  which  he  rinds  enjoyment.  These 
give  character  to  his  life,  li  his  cud  be  noble,  his  motive 
pure,  his  rule  Correct  and  fixed,  his  whole  life  will  be  fail  of 
moral  beauty  and  power.  And  if  his  end,  his  motive,  his  rule 
and  his  joy  all  centre  in  one  single  object,  concentrating  -all 
the  energies  of  his  being  in  one  direction,  it  will  throw  around 
the  character  a  dignity  and  massive  strength  and  force  not 
otherwise  attainable,  if,  moreover,  that  one  object  be  the  * 
best,  the  loveliest,  the  grandest  the  universe  contains,  such  a 
life  will  be  as  God-like  as  any  lif&on  earth  can  be.  Such  was 
Paul's.  To  him  Christ  was  both  end  and  motive,  rule  and  joy.    - 

1.  First,  the  glory  of  Christ  was  the  end  of  his  life.  From  the 
memorable  moment  when  struck  to  the  earth,  he  cried  out 
"Lord,  what  wilt  thou  have  me  to  do  f"  till  he  yielded  up  that 
life  in  the  agonies  of  martyrdom,  the  glory  of  his  Master  ap- 
pears to  have  been  his  only  aim.     Every  desire  of  his  soul 


HOW    SHALL    I    LIV 

seems  to  be  subordinate  to  this — and  not  only  subordinate, 
but  actually  to  derive  all  its  strength  from  this,  and  also  to  be 
a  tributary  stream  flowing  into  the  general  current  of  this 
great  purpose,  swelling  its  volume  and  augmenting  its  force. 
Neither  worldly  ease,  nor  honor,  nor  reputation,  nor  any 
earthly  or  selfish  consideration  seems  to  have  hidden  from 
his  view  for  a  moment  that  one  object.  Whether  he  delayed 
in  Antioch,  or  Ephesus,  or  Corinth,  or  swept  over  all  West- 
ern Asia,  and  Macedonia  and  Greece  in  rapid  missionary  tours, 
encountering  every  peril  from  elements  and  beasts  and  men  ; 
whether  claiming  the  protection  of  a  Roman  citizeu,  or  ap- 
pealing to  Caesar,  or  in  bonds  at  Cesarea  or  Rome,  we  can 
never  find  a  trace  of  any  other  object  influencing  his  aims,  than 
the  glory  of  Christ.  With  intense  earnestness  indeed,  did  he 
press  on  in  the  heavenly  race  for  tbo  prize  of  his  own  salva- 
tion ;  but  that  prize  he  always  saw,  as  held  forth  by  the  pierc- 
ed hands  of  his  glorified  Lord  ;  and  at  every  step  as  you  see 
him  reaching  forth  his  eager  hands  toward  it,  you  may  hear 
from  his  grateful  lips  the  ascription  of  all  honor  to  Christ,  the 
utter  renunciation  of  all  self- confidence  and  glorifyiug  in  the 
flesh,  counting  everything  but  loss,  that  he  may  win  Chri?t 
and  be  found  in  him  to  the  praise  of  the  glory  of  his  grace. 
"Looking  unto  Jesus,  the  Author  and  the  Finisher  of  his 
faith,"  is  the  motto  of  his  life.  Thus  glorifying  in  him,  he 
with  equal  earnestness  seeks  to  proclaim  to  others — to  the 
whole  world — his  matchless  wisdom,  power  and  love;  to  es- 
tablish his  reign  in  other  hearts,  and  to  extend  his  kingdom 
over  all  the  nations,  till  at  his  feet  every  knee  shall  bow  and 
every  tongue  confess  that  he  is  Lord. 

Now  what  higher  or  nobler  end  than  this  can  an)»rational 
creature  have  ?  The  glory  of  him  who  made  the  world  and 
died  to  redeem  it,  his  glory  in  the  accomplishment  of  the  ob- 
ject for  which  he  died — the  salvation  of  a  perishing  world,  the 
destruction  of  sin  and  Satan,  the  triumph  of  redeeming  love. 
That  his  word,  which  alone  can  dispel  the  darkness  of  the 
nations,  should  be  everywhere  proclaimed  and  received ;  that 
his  blood  and  righteousness  which  alone  can  save  from  the 
grasp  of  the  curse  and  the  jaws  of  hell,  should  be  everywhere 
trusted  in  j  and  he  himself  crowned  King  of  Kings  and  Lord 
of  Lords ;  this  is  the  only  object  worthy  of  the  highest  devo- 


4  HOW    SHA.LL    I    LIVE  ? 

tion  and  efforts  of  any  one  of  that  race  for  whom,  all  this  re- 
deeming mercy  has  been  manifested.  Jt  ought  to  be  the  end, 
reader,  of  your  life.  It  must,  be,  or  your  life  will  be  thrown 
away,  and  will  result  in  the  blackness  of  eternal  disappoint- 
ment and  despair.  You  must  live  for  Christ,  or  you  must 
die  the  second  death.  You  must  live  for  Christ,  or  your  life 
must  be  an  awful,  an  eternal  failure.  Live  for  the  world,  for  its 
wealth,  its  honors,  its  domestic  joys,  or  even  its  political  free- 
dom ;  have  no  higher  ends  than  society,  reputation,  or  coun- 
try can  set  before  you,  however  excellent  in  themselves  ;  and 
when  life's  short  course  is  run,  what  have  you  gained  ?  Bet- 
ter you  had  never  been  born,  than  to  havs  so  completely  fail- 
ed in  attaining  the  end  of  your  being.  — 

Is  it  then,  Christ,  for  you  to  live  ?  Is  his  glory  your  great 
end  in  all  your  plans  and  pursuits  ;  in  the  formation  and  per- 
petuation of  your  friendship.-,  in  tie  intercourse  of  daily  life, 
in  the  prosecution  of  your  business,  ia  your  efforts  to  make 
money  and  in  the  use  you  make  of  it,  in  your  labors  for  your 
family,  and  in  your  zeal  and  sacrifices  for  your  country  ?  Is 
it  Christ  you  are  living  for,  or  self,  or  some  mere  earthly  end  ? 
The  very  idea  of  a  Chistian  is  to  live  for  Christ  ;  just  as  the 
raiser  lives  for  money,  the  fond  but  worldly  parent  for  his 
children,  the  ambitious  for  power  and  fame,  the  mere  patriot 
for  his  country,  so  a  Christian  is  one  who  lives  for  Christ;  to 
whom  property,  family,  reputation  and  country  are  all  dear, 
just  so  far  as  they  are  means  of  promoting  the  glory  of  Christ. 
Christ's  own  solemn  declarations  settle  this  matter.  "Who- 
soever he  be  "of  you  that  forsaketh  not  all  that  he  hath,  can- 
not be  my  disciple."  See  also  Matt.  10:S7-40,  and  Luke  14:26. 
It  is  not«jnough  to  have  this  as  one  end  along  with  others, 
which,  though  leos  important,  are  still  independent.  Just  so  far 
as  you  allow  any  object,  no  matter  how  good  in  itself,  or  even 
necessary,  even  your  food,  your  health,  your  family,  to  be  re- 
garded independently  of  Christ,  for  its  own  sake,  for  your  mere 
gratification,  just  so  far  do  you  come  short  of  the  high  end  of 
life  and  fail  in  meeting  your  obligations  to  a  loving  Saviour. 

And  here  is  one  great  source  of  the  ieebleness  of  Christian 
character.  So  many  live  for  a  variety  of  objects,  not  only 
for  those  right  in  themselves,  pursuing  them  as  distinct  ends, 
irrespective   of  Christ,  and  thus  dividing  their   energies,  but 


HOW    SHAL/L    I   LIVE  {  5 

very  often    for  conflicting  objects*  and  thus  introducing  dis- 
cord into  the  soul  itself;  tbat  it  is  no  wonder  that  in  decision 
and  inconsistency  'characterize  so   large  a  part  of  the  vie 
church.     Union  is  strength  nowhere  an  in  the  sonl 

itself.  Decision  and  energ^^tbo  result  of  the  concentration 
of  one's  whole  powers  upon^Mn  single  pre  at  :;'  ob- 

ject.    This  can  be  fully  <\^\\v  only  whe 
Nothing  else  in  all  the  universe  :an  fully  unite  the  powei 
the  sou].     A  man  may  indeed  give  himself  up  exclusive! 
some  inferior  object ;  he  may  evince  a  vast  energy  in  gratify- 
ing his  lust  of  power,  or  pleasure,  or  sensual  indulgence  ;  but 
in  doing  so  he  has  to  crush  his  moral  nature,  to  benumb  his 
sensibility  and  hush  the  voice  oi  -  ce,to  hide  from  his 

eyes  the  God  that  made  him  and  the  awfai  judgment  to  which 
he  is  hastening.     Such  a  man  instead  of  being  an  example  of 
real  strength  of  soul,  is  only  an  example  of  the  power  - 
and  the  devil  over  the  soul,  dragging  it  onward,  in  0] 
to  its  own  better  judgment  to  gratify  a  reigning  lust,  to    its 
own  eternal  ruin.     It  is  only   when   the  object  is  one  that 
brings  the  hen.it  into  peace  with  God  and  harmony  with 
will,  that  it  can  develope  the  foil  strength  and  etiergy  of  a  hn- 
man  soul.     Thi  ry  19 

the  great  end  in  Creation,  Providence  and  Redemption,  and 
in  whom  are  found  all  that  is  lovely,  and  desirable  for  sinful 
man.  It  was  this  that  made  Paul's  character  the  grandest, 
noblest,  loveliest  that  ever  th  and  power  or 

ever  spread  out  i  imitation  of  his  church. 

When  you  can  i  him,  "To  me  to  live  is  Christ,"  his 

glory  is  the  one  end  of  my  life,  then  every  element  of  weak- 
ness is  cast  out;  and  just  in  proportl  bled 
by  divine  grace  to  carry  out  this  high  pui 
consecration,  will  your  path  be  one  radiant  with  moral   beau- 
ty and. power,  on  which  ang 

light.  But  if  you  would  realize  this  highest  attain m<  ot  of  a 
redeemed  sinner,  you  must  be  ah  ',  as 

implied  in  these  words  of  his — 

2.  The  love  of  Christ  is  the  motive  of  my  life.     It  is  so  in 
every  Christian  ;  it  was  eminently  so  i  »ve  of 

Christ,"  says  he,  "eonstraineth  ub;  I        usew,efch  ,  that 

if  one  died  for  all,  then  did  al!  die  :  and  tbat  he  died  for  all 


HOW    SHALL    I    LIVE 


that  they  which  live  should  not  henceforth  live  unto  them- 
selves, but  unto  him  that  died  for  them,  and  rose  again."  It 
is  Christ's  love  to  him  in  thus  dying  for  him,  to  which  the 
apostle  attributes  this  constraining  power.  God  has  so  con- 
stituted the  human  heart  tbaMjbthirig  so  subdues  and  melts 
and  constrains  it  as  love.  EwJKhe  hardened  criminal,  if  once 
convinced,  (a  task,  however,  of  extreme  difficulty,)  that  he  is 
the  object  of  a  true  disinterested  love,  will  be  melted  into 
tenderness.  But  when  that  love  is  the  infinite  love  of  Christ, 
and  when  in  its  outgoings  it  opens  the  eyes  and  touches  the 
heart  of  a  sinner  so  as  to  see  and  feel  its  magnitude  and  ten- 
derness, it  must  move  the  soul  as  no  mere  earthly  influence 
ever  can.  Can  you  believe  that  the  Son  of  God  yearned  over 
you  with  infinite  compassion  from  eternity ;  that  he  then  en- 
gaged,in  full  view  of  all  the  humiliation  and  agony  it  would  cost 
him,  to  redeem  you;  that  though  God,  equal  with  the  Father, 
and  having  all  power  and  the  homage  of  the  universe,  he  bow- 
ed himself  to  the  feebleness  and  woes  of  cur  accursed  race, 
and  suffered  the  fearful  penalty,  which  injustice  he  might  have 
inflicted  upon  113  ;  that  he  h?.s  bestowed  on  us  the  matchless 
gift  of  the  Ho'y  Ghost  to  renew  our  polluted  natures,  and  to 
fit  us  for  a  destiny  of  endless  glory  «tid  joy  in  bearing  his  own 
image  and  dwelling  in  his  own  joyous  presence  :  can  you,  oh  ! 
can  you  believe  that  it  was  for  you—  all  full  of  pollution  and 
enmity  and  guilt — that  he  thus  gave,  not  the  worlds  he  made, 
—they  would  have  been  worthless— nor  merely  the  mighty 
energies  of  his  pewer5  nor  merely  the  boundless  resources  of 
his  wisdom ;  but  himself,  his  own  person  in  the  flesh,  to  a  life 
of  suffering  Obedience,  to  the  endurance  of  the  Father's  wrath, 
the  infliction  of  the  curse,  the  bufferings  of  Satan :  can  you 
believe  all  this,  asd  not  leelthe  constraining  power  of  such  a 
love  sweetly  chaining  your  soul  to  him  and  swallowing  up  in 
it  ail  other  affections.  Do  you  profess  to  be  a  Christian ! 
Surely  then  that  cross  where  first,  looking  up,  you  saw  his 
forgiving  grace,  and  felt  the  burden  of  your  sins  rolled  away, 
must  ever  be  dear  to  your  heart  above  all  other  objects.  A 
love  that  has  such  heights  and  depths,  and  lengths  and 
breadths,  that  so  passeth  knowledge,  if  seen  and  felt  at  all, 
must  be  seen  and  felt  with  tremendous  power.  Before  its 
influence  all  other  motives  must  wane  into  utter  feebleness. 


HOW    SHALL    I    LIVE  ?  V 

"When  it  rises  on  the  soul  in  its  sun-like  glory,  every  other 
power  must,  like  the  stars  of  night,  be  lost  in  its  beams,  and 
every  rival  light  be  regarded  with  utter  abhorrence.  Yes, 
dear  reader,  if  you  have  ever  felt  its  power,  then  Christ  must 
be  to  you  the  chief  among  ten  thousand  and  altogether  love- 
ly. If  you  ever  gazed  by  faith  upon  his  lovely  features,  if 
you  ever  saw  his  pierced  hands,  and  feet,  and  side,  it  Tou 
ever  heard  his  voice,  declaring  in  tones  sweeter  than  a  moth- 
er's love,  "Thy  sins  are  forgiven  thee ;"  and  if  you  can  now 
look  down  into  that  deep,  dark  pit  of  sin  and  woe  and  wrath, 
where,  in  the  miery  clay  your  feet  were  sunk,  and  whence 
your  cry  of  agony  arose  for  help,  and  from  which  his  arm  of 
power  and  love  reaching  down  lifted  you  up,  oh  !  how  can 
you  help  but  yield  your  whole  soul  to  the  sweet  influence  of 
his  love — how  can  you  help  but  say,  "to  me  to  live  is  Christ," 
his  love  is  the  grand  motive  of  my  life. 

Do  not  I  love  thee  from  my  eoul  9  Dea>l  be  my  h?art  to  every  joy, 

Tiieu  let  me  nothing  love  ;  Which  thou  dost  not  approve. 

Love  is  no  inactive  emotion.  It  was  not  as  it  dwelt  in  the 
bosom  of  Christ.  No  more  can  it  be  in  yours.  Shall  the 
love  of  a  mere  creature  be  a  motive  that  often  with  control- 
ling power  sways  the  whole  soul  arid  sweeps  away  in  its  broad 
current  every  other  feeling,  2nd  shall  the  love  of  Christ  exert 
an  inferior  force  ?  Never,  never,  it  must  lead  you  to  testify 
its  influence,  in  toils  and  self-denials  for  him  and  his  cause. — 
Laying  its  hand  of  power  on  your  heart,  it  must,  io  will  break 
the  chains  of  all  unholy  and  worldly  desires,  and  make  the 
narrow  way  with  all  its  rugged n ess,  the  upward  path  with  all 
its  toils  and  self-denials,  to  be  like  Eden  blessed. 

3.  Again,  the  will  of  Christ  must  be  the  rule  of  your 
life.  The  very  first  utterance  of  the  new  life  in  Paul  was, — 
"Lord,  what  wilt  thou  have  me  to  do !"  and  that  will  never 
ceased  to  be  his  law.  To  him  it  was  of  no  consequence  to  be 
judged  of  other  men's  judgments;  the  frowns  and  smiles  of 
the  world,  or  even  of  mistaken  Christian  friends  formed  no 
part  of  his  rule;  he  only  longed  to  approve  himself  to  his 
master's  eye.  So  it  must  be  to  all  who  would  share  his  sal- 
vation. Simple,  childlike,  unconditional  obedience  is  the 
very  life  of  the  Christian.  There  may  not  be  any  parleying, 
any  excuses,  any  apologies.     "Have  not  I  commanded  thee?" 


'  HOW    SHALL    1    LIVE  ? 

is  the  stirring  word  of  cheer  with  which  he  dispels  all  our 
fears  and  rebukes  all  our  delays;  and  surely  it  ought, to  be 
enough  to  bear  us  onward  in  the  hardest  duties  and  the  most 
perilous  enterprises,  with  a  Zealand  self-sacrificing  courage, 
greatej  than  that  high  enthusia  which  the  soldiers 

even  of  an  earthly  leader  rush  into  the  most  fearful  peri; 
his  single  word  of  command.  His  will  is  expressed  not  only 
in  his  word,  but  in  his  example.  As  you  pass  along  in  your 
pilgrimage,  and  the  way  seems  dark,  and  temptations  thicken, 
and  opposition  rises,  and  the  world  allures,  if  you  can  only 
catch  a  glimpse  of  his  living  form  in  the  way  before  you,  and 
hear  his  voice  saying  firmly,  "Follow  me,"  new  strength  is 
imparted,  and  all  obstacles  vanish.  Paul  saw  and  beard  tl 
through  all  the  persecuting  rage  and  violence  of  envious  Jews, 
and  ignorant  idolators,  and  all  the  gloom  and  terror  of  fore- 
seen and  most  cruel  sufferings,  and  pressed  onward  unterrified 
and  unfaltering.  The  noble  army  of  the  martyrs,  through  all  the 
smoke  and  fires  and  terrors  of  martydom,  saw  that  bleeding 
form  of  the  Captain  of  their  salvation,  and  heard  his  inspirit- 
ing call,  and  passed  on  through  ail  with  a  shout  of  triumph 
to  his  side.  And  all  the  vast  cloud  of  witnesses  in  every 
ag&  from  the  learned  sago  and  the  throned  monarch  to  the 
most  unlettered  and  despised  child  of  poverty  and  woe,  saw 
through  all  the  glare  of  earthly  glory,  and  all  tl 
uess  of  all  mingled  woes,  and  all  the  false  lights  of  the  wily 
tempter,  that  same  form  of  matchless  love  and  meekness,  and 
felt  those  words  of  his  ring  thro'  their  inmost,  souls,  "1 
up  thy  cross  and  follow  me  ;7'  and  thro'  many  teafrs  and  d 
tribulation  they  passed  on  to  share  in  his  kingdom  and  glory. 
You  can  have  no  share  in  his  saving  grace,  if  you  shrink  from 
putting  your  feet  in  his  bleeding  footprints.  Paul  says  he 
consulted  not  with  3  blood,  when  called  to  his  work 

of  self-denial  and  suffering-;  and  here  is  the  great  .difficulty 
with  many  now.  They  consult,  and  often  very  long  and  ten- 
derly too.  with  flesh  and  blood  ;  and  because  some  duties  are 
ig  and  demand  much  self  denial,  they  begeff  from  them, 
or  at  least  delay  them,  and  so  shut  themselves  out  from  the 
evidence  of  his  favor,  and  bring  dishonor  on  themselves  and 
the  church.  It  is  the  command  of  Christ,  enforced  by  his  ex- 
ample, that  every  follower  of  his    should  give  his  personal  ef- 


«  HOW    SHALL    I    LIVE  ?  9 

forts  to  save  souls,  and  should  use  his  property  and  influence 
in  the  one  leading  object  of  extending  his  kingdom  ;  but  how 
many  do  neither  the  one  nor  the  other ;  or  do  them  so  fee- 
bly that  their  very  efforts  serve  to  show  the  extent  of  their 
disobedience.  Surely  such  can  never  unite  with  the  apottle 
in  these  words  :  "to  me  to  live  is  Christ,"  in  their  fourth  and 
last  so 

4.  Christ  is  thJs  joy  of  my  life.     This  is  true  of  every  real 
believer,  Jan d  ought  to  be  true  in  a  far  higher  degree  of  most 
it  is.     No  happier  man  ever  lived  than  Paul.     He  could 
;e  even  in  ion.     And  this,  just  because  he  fotmd 

his  bliss  in  promoting  the  glory  of  Christ,  in  feeling  the  pow- 
er of  his  love,  and  in  doing  and  suffei  will.  For  the 
same  reason  ought  the  joy  of  every  CI  bo  abound,  and 
it  const  do  so  i  ks  it  only  in  the  service,  the  love  and 
the  will  of  Christ.  With  such  a  blessed  work  to  do — always 
things  working  for  Christ, — with  such  a  love  to  enjoy, 
such  an  unerring  rule  to  guide  him,  he  may  ever  say,  'to 
me,  the  joy  of  my  life  is  Christ.'  Christ  is  the  joy  of  his 
life,  because  he  is  enjoyed  in  all  things,  not  merely  in  seasons 
of  special  duty  and  devotion ;  it  is  a  joy  this  which  infuses 
itself  into  all  his  living.  This  is  his  world,  not  only  made  by 
his  power,  but  bought  with  his  blood,  and  governed  by  his 
providence,  and  held  in  being  by  his  death  on  the  cross  :  so 
that  every  temporal  blessing,  even  the  sunshine  and  the  rains 
of  heaven,  the  air  we  breathe,  his  food  and  all  his  domestic 
joys,  and  every  other  mercy  comes  to  the  believer  from  his 
bleeding  hands  and  with  the  stain  of  his  blood  upon  them  ; 
and  every  cross  is  laid  upon  him  by  the  same  loving  hand. — 
Christ  thus  seen  in  every  thing,  fills  the  whole  life  with  a 
deep  and  steady  joy.  No  sorrow  can  drown  it;  the  strains 
of  the  new  song  send  forth  their  sweetest  melody  from  the 
crushed  heart  in  the  dark  night  of  allliction. 

Oh  !  'tis  not  in  grief  to  harm  ine,  Oh  !  'tis  not  in  joy  to  charm  me, 

While  thy  bleeding  love  I  When  that  love  it  hid  from  me. 

Thus  we  have  with  the  aid  of  Paul,  or  rather  of  the  Spirit  of 
God  by  whom  Paul  spake,  answered  the  inquiry — How  shall 
I  live  ?  There  is,  there  can  be,  no  other  life  worthy  of  a 
rational,  accountable,  immortal  creature.  Every  other  must 
be  fraught  with  misery,  disappointment,  remorse  and  ruin. — 


10  HOW    SHALL    I    LIVE? 

ft 

JS'ow  what  consideration  can  the  cunning  tempter  bring  to  de- 
ter you  from  at  once  taking  Christ  as  the  end,  the  motive,  the 
rule  and  the  joy  of  your  life,  so  that  you  can  say  with  Paul, 
"to  me  to  live  is  Christ  ?"  Do  you  not  see  that  here  and  only 
here  is  the  true  secret  of  enjoying  this  life  to,  the  utmost,  as 
well  as  being  always  ready  to  die  ?  You  see  here,  too,  how  in 
these  troubled  times,  when  all  earthly  things  are  felt  to  be  so 
insecure,  when  so  many  hearts  are  wrung  with  anguish,  or 
filled  with  fearful  anticipations,  when  the  heavy  cloud  of  the 
divine  judgments  covers  our  sky,  and  the  storm  of  God's 
wrath  is  descending  upon  a  guilty  nation,  the  heart  may  rest 
in  peace,  a  sweet,  cheerful  peace.  The  reason  of  our  undue 
anxieties  and  distress  in  regard  to  our  country  and  ourselves 
is  that  Christ  is  not  all  in  all  to  us,  as  he  was  to  Paul.  Paul 
was  a  patriot,  he  loved  his  country  as  only  a  Jew  could, — a 
country  hallowed  by  ages  of  glorious  and  holy  memories  and 
God's  most  wonderful  works  ;  he  saw  the  storm  then  gather- 
ing which  he  knew  in  a  little  while  was  to  deluge  it  in  blood 
and  scatter  his  people  into  hopeless  slavery  and  exile, — but  he 
also  saw  what  we  can  See  in  every  convulsion  of  our  own  times, 
the  Kingdom  of  Christ  rising  steadily  and  gloriously  amid 
these  ruins ;  and  so  even  here,  Christ  was  his  joy.  Ob,  if 
only  it  is  Christ  to  us  to  live,  if  he  is  our  great  end,  our  rul- 
ing motive,  our  law  and  our  joy;  then  these  storms,  furious 
and  desolating  though  they  be,  will  not  greatly  disturb  our 
peace.  But  we  have  other  ends  than  Christ's  glory,  and 
other  motives  than  Christ's  love,  and  other  rules  of  action 
than  Christ's  will,  and  other  sources  of  joy  in  which  Christ 
has  no  part.  Hence  the  necessity  of  these  fearful  judgments, 
to  cut  us  off  from  these  low  and  selfish  ends,  to  purge  out 
these  conflicting  loves  and  affections  and  low  principles  and 
rules  of  action  and  mere  worldly  joys,  in  order  that  we  may 
make  him  our  highest  end  and  motive  and  rule  and  joy. — 
"When  we  have  done  this,  and  can  truly  say,  "to  me  to  live  is 
Christ;"  then  shall  the  sting  of  sorrow  be  extracted,  all  our 
anxious  fears  subside,and  every  lawful  joy  gain  a  new  and  richer 
zest;  and  as  we  journey  on  we  shall  ever  sing,  "The  Lord 
Christ  is  my  light  and  my  salvation,  whom  shall  I  fear  ?  The 
Lord  is  the  strength  of  my  life,  of  whom  shall  I  be  afraid  ? 
Does  the  tempter,  however,  suggest  that  this  high  attain- 


IIOU     SHALL    1    LI  ..11 

ment  is  too  much  to  expect  o?  you,  my  friend?  Too  much 
to  expec> — when  God  requires  it,  Jesus  died  for  it,  and  the 
Holy  Ghost  is  offered  and  bestowed  to  effect  it  !  Too  much, 
when  this  is  the  very  end  of  the  whole  scheme  of  redemp- 
tion, which  if  not  attained  in  your  case,  you  are  eternally  un- 
done, forever  unbenefitted  by  all  his  wonderful  mercy  of  God. 
Do  you  claim  to  be  a  reasonable  creature  ?  Is  it  too  much  to 
expect  of  you  then,  that  you  will  seek  the  noblest  end  with  a 
single  undeviating  purpose  ;  that  you  will  love  the  lovliest  be- 
ing in  the  uni.  him  who  died  to  redeem  yew,  with  a 
supreme  unfaltering  love;  and  that  you  will  make  his  holy 
and  gracious  will,  and  his  bright  example  your  only  rule ! — 
And  this  too  when  he  invites  you  to  come  to  him,  and  receive 
all  the  might  of  the  Spirit,  all  the  treasures  of  his  grace  to 
help  you  thus  to  live  ! 

Are  vou  a  professed  follower  of  Christ  I  Surely  nothing 
less  can  ever  be  expected  of  you.  Anything  less  is  thebasesr 
ingratitude  to  him  who  died  for  you.  All  beings  expert 
it  of  you  thus  to  live.  The  devil  expects  it;  the  world  ex- 
pects it ;  a  whole  universe  of  holy  intelligences  expect  it  as 
they  gaze  upon  the  love  and  power  and  glory  of  Christ's  re- 
demption ;  the  Holy  Ghost  expects  it,  for  he  pledges  to  you 
his  almighty  indwelling  power  to  enable  you  to  do  it ;  and 
more  than  all,  Christ  himself  expects  it,  as  now  on  his  throne 
of  glory  with  all  the  infinite  love  of  his  heart  and  all  the 
mighty  power  oi  his  arm,  he  is  working  for  this  very  end  in 
regard  to  all  his  redeemed.  He  calls  upon  ycu  by  all  the  love 
you  owe  to  him,  by  all  the  interests  of  your  own  helpless  but 
unclying  soul,  by  alhthe  priceless  worth  of  other  perisliir^ 
souls,  many  of  whom  are  trembling  on  the  very  brink  of  eter- 
nity, and  by  all  the  woes  of  a  sin  accursed  world  to  unite 
heart  and  soul  and  hauds,  promptly,  earnestly,  lovingly,  in  the 
one  great  work  of  glorifying  him,  consecrating  your  whole 
life  to  his  service.  What  says  your  heart  ?  I  know  its  quick 
response,  if  that  heart  has  ever  been  touched^y  his  love,  and 
if  you  have  any  claim  to  a  share  in  his  salvation.  "Lord 
what  wouldst  thou  have  me  to  do  ?" 

Here  at  thy  feet  where  flows  the  blood,  Do  thou  assist  a  feeble  worm, 

That  bought  my  guilty  soul  for  God,  The  great  engagement  to  perform  ; 

Thee,  my  new  Master  now  I  call.  Thy  grace  can  full  assistance  lend, 
And  consecrate  to  thee  my  all.  I  nn  that  grace  I  dare  depend. 


12  .  KOTf    SHALL    1   LIVE? 


HYMN. 


"Here  is  my  heart ;  surely  the  gift,  though  poor, 

My  God  will  not  despise  ; 

Vainly  and  long  I  sought  to  mate  it  pure, 

To  meet  thy  searching  eyes ; 

Corrupted  first  in  Adam's  fall, 

The  stains  of  sin  pollute  it  all, 

My  guilty  heart. 

"Here  is  my  heart ;  in  Christ  its  longings  end, 

Near  to  his  cross  it  draws  : 

It  says,  'Thou  art  my  portion,  O  my  Friend, 

Thy  blood  my  ransom  was.' 

And  in  the  Saviour  it  has  found 

What  blessedness  and  peace  abound  ; 

My  trusting  heart. 

"Here  is  my  heart :  ah,  Holy  Spirit,  come, 

Its  nature  to  renew, 

And  consecrate  it  wholly  as  thy  home, 

A  temple  fair  and  true. 

Teach  it  to  love  and  serve  thee  more, 

To  fear  thee,  trust  thee,  and  adore : 

My  cleansed  heart. 
i 

"Here  is  my  heart;  teach  it,  0  Lord,  to  cling 

In  gladness  unto  thee  ; 

And  in  the  day  of  sorrow  still  to  siug, 

Welcome  my  God's  decree. 

Belie vinglp all  its  journey  through, 

That  thou  art  wise,  and  just,  and  true : 

My  waiting  heart. 


Chas.  LeKoi,  Printer,  Petersburg. 


Hollinger  Corp. 
PH8.5 


